Fitting bone conduction hearing devices to children: audiological practices and challenges.

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Pediatric Hearing Healthcare
• Hearing Device Technology

Background:

• Evidence-based protocols for fitting air conduction hearing aids to children are crucial.
• Fitting protocols for bone conduction hearing devices (BCHDs) for pediatric populations are underdeveloped.
• This highlights a gap in current clinical practice for pediatric BCHD fittings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document current practices and challenges faced by audiologists fitting BCHDs to children.
• To identify areas where audiologists seek further guidance in pediatric BCHD fitting.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed to pediatric audiologists across North America.
• A retrospective file review was conducted with seven clinics in North America.

Main Results:

• 144 audiologists responded to the survey, and 11 participated in the file review.
• Survey results indicate a need for guidance on optimal amplification for pediatric BCHD users.
• The aided audiogram is commonly used for verification and validation, but audiologists express uncertainty.

Conclusions:

• There is a need for clinically feasible electroacoustic verification methods for pediatric BCHD fittings.
• Outcome measures should complement electroacoustic verification for improved pediatric BCHD management.